Volume 62 Number 3 March 2002 STATE A B THE W A O R I A S N SO O CIATI IOWAIOWA LAWYER LAWYER William F. Riley Ingalls Swisher 1949-1950 1951-1952 PastPast PresidentsPresidents IowaIowa StateState BarBar AssociationAssociation T.M. Ingersoll E. W. McNeil 1950-1951 1952-1953 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE You must opt “out” from Iowa Lawyer Online Special BOG meeting highlights Lawyer legislators want you! Volume 62 Number 3 March 2002 Contents Published at 521 East Locust Wieck II succeeds Courtney . Page 4 Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Charles Corcoran, Editor President’s Letter – Holland . Page 5 515-243-3179 IOLTA grant application deadline nears . Page 6 Special BOG meeting highlights. Page 7 Legislating lawyers want you! . Page 9 Law in the ‘50s – COVER STO RY – THE IOWA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION Stout. Page 11 OFFICERS 2001-2002 President, C. Joseph Holland, Iowa City Lawyer Referral Service going online . President-elect, Alan E. Fredregill, Sioux City Vice President, Kevin Collins, Cedar Rapids . Page 18 Immediate Past President, Bruce Graves Executive Director, Dwight Dinkla About the Cover Copying copyrighted materials - Hartung THE IOWA LAWYER Artifacts from 50 years ago, when . Page 19 (ISSN 1052-5327) is published monthly by The Iowa State Bar Association, 521 East Locust, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. chrome and tail fins decorated cars, Subscription included in membership fee. Non-members, clunky “modern” furniture and gaudy Futurist’s predictions surprise – $30 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, Iowa. colors appointed homes, and war Fredregill. Page 21 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Iowa Lawyer, haunted families whose sons went off to 521 East Locust, Des Moines, IA 50309. fight, help recall the “Fabulous 50’s.” Thanks to YLD workers – Ahlers . The Iowa Lawyer is printed by Colorfx, 10776 Aurora Ave., Des Moines, IA 50322. Telephone (515) 270-0402. This month ISBA Executive Assistant . Page 22 Art Director: Ann Firkins Judi Stout delves into the Bar’s archives Classified Advertising so you can compare that bygone era Classified Advertising . Page 23 Qualifying ISBA members - 2 months free; $70 thereafter Non-members - $110 per column inch per insertion with today. If you are too young to Inside ABA’s Philly meeting – See classified section for details. recall that “simpler” time firsthand or For Display Advertising Rates old enough to have practiced law then Funkhouser. Page 26 Contact David R. Larson (515) 440-2810; or write: The Iowa Lawyer, c/o Larson Enterprises, 909 50th St., makes no difference – take a look back Continuing Legal Education calendar . West Des Moines, IA 50265. and savor what Iowa attorneys have . Page 30 Communicating with The Iowa Lawyer online: built to bring us to today. Computers, Send your comments and Letters to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your daytime copiers, the Internet, faxes and digital Do YOU want to be listed on the phone number should we need to contact you with an imaging never crossed lawyers’ minds as answer or for verification. Executive Director Dwight tools of their trade then but they never- Web?. Page 31 Dinkla’s electronic mail address is [email protected]. Executive Assistant Judi Stout is at [email protected]. theless practiced good, honest law and Computer Service Director Harry Shipley’s address is laid the solid foundation upon which [email protected]. this state’s lawyers thrive now. Iowa State Bar Association Board of Governors OFFICERS: DISTRICT 4: DISTRICT 7: C. Joseph Holland, president, Iowa City (319) J.C. Salvo, Harlan, (712) 755-3141; Patricia R. Cepican, Davenport (319) 355-6478 354-0331; Alan E. Fredregill, president-elect, Charles L. Smith, Council Bluffs, (712) 325-9000. Jerry Van Scoy, Clinton, (319) 242-2827; Sioux City, (712) 255-8838; Kevin Collins, vice District 5-A: Stuart P. Werling, Tipton, (319) 886-2175. president, Cedar Rapids, (319) 365-9461; Mark Otto, Newton, (641) 792-4160. DISTRICT 8-A: Dwight Dinkla, secretary, Des Moines, (515) Michael Moreland, Ottumwa, (641) 682-8326; 243-3179, Bruce B. Graves, immediate past DISTRICT 5-B: Rick L. Lynch, Bloomfield, (641) 664-3188. president (515) 242-2400. Marion James, Creston, (641) 782-8597. DISTRICT 8-B: DISTRICT 1-A: DISTRICT 5-C: Marion Beatty, Decorah, (319) 382-4226; John K. Vernon, Des Moines, (515) 246-4511; Michael Vance, Mount Pleasant, (319) 385-3736. Stephen Juergens, Dubuque, (319) 556-4011. David S. Wiggins, Des Moines, (515) 225-4822; EX-OFFICIO MEMBER: DISTRICT 1-B: Tim Pearson, Des Moines, (515) 262-9595; James Carney (legislative counsel) Des Moines, Kevin McCrindle, Waterloo (319) 234-0535; Brian Wirt, Des Moines (515) 288-2500; (515) 282-6803; David Funkhouser (ABA delegate) George L. Weilein, Waterloo, (319) 233-6163. E.J. Giovannetti, Des Moines, (515) 244-0111; Mason City, (515) 423-6223; David Brown (ABA del- Nan Horvat, Des Moines, (515) 286-3688; egate) Des Moines, (515) 244-2141; Diane Kutzko DISTRICT 2-A: Susan L. Ekstrom, Des Moines, (515) 243-6395; (ABA delegate) Cedar Rapids, (319) 365-9461. C. Bradley Price, Mason City, (641) 423-1173; Carol Moser, Des Moines, (515) 237-1561; Thomas A. Lawler, Parkersburg, (319) 346-2650. YLD OFFICERS: David C. Craig, Des Moines, (515) 288-0145; Paul Ahlers, president, Webster City, (515) 832- DISTRICT 2-B: Anita L. Shodeen, Des Moines, (515) 237-1186. 6565; Timothy Semelroth, president-elect, Steven W. Hendricks, Fort Dodge, (515) 576-4127; DISTRICT 6: Cedar Rapids, (319) 365-9200; Aaron Oliver, Jim P. Robbins, Boone, (515) 432-7114; Marsha M. Beckelman, Cedar Rapids (319) 297-7515; secretary, Des Moines, (515) 244-2141; Debora Joel T. Greer, Marshalltown, (641) 752-5467. Bruce Haupert, Iowa City, (319) 338-7551; Hewitt Neumeyer, immediate past president, DISTRICT 3-A: Darrell Morf, Cedar Rapids (319) 366-7641; Cedar Rapids, (319) 294-8293. David Bibler, Algona (515) 295-3565. Daniel Y. Rathjen, Tama, (641) 484-5211; Joseph Fitzgibbons, Estherville, (712) 362-7215 J. Michael Weston, Cedar Rapids, 319-366-7331. DISTRICT 3-B: James Lohman, Denison, (712) 263-4627; Dan A. Moore, Sioux City, (712) 252-0020. March 2002 I 3 Wieck Succeeds Courtney Paul H. Wieck II, with the Reynoldson law firm from ducts investigations and audits of Clive, has been 1983 to 1990. In 1990, he was appoint- attorneys’ accounts, institutes discipli- appointed Director of ed by former Governor Terry Branstad nary proceedings against attorneys, Supreme Court Com- to serve as the Commissioner of the and administers the Client Security Paul H. Wieck II missions. Wieck will Iowa Department of Public Safety, a Fund, which is used to compensate replace John Courtney who is retiring position Wieck held until 1999. clients who have suffered a financial after 22 years of service. Wieck has In addition to his legal career, loss due to an attorney’s defalcation been practicing law in Osceola with Wieck has served in the military and or dishonest conduct. the law firm of Reynoldson, Van Iowa National Guard. He served in • The Continuing Legal Education Werden & Reynoldson, L.L.P. U.S. Army from 1973 to 1979. He is Commission, which accredits continu- Wieck graduated from Iowa State currently a Brigadier General in the ing education programs for attorneys University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Iowa National Guard, serving as Assis- and monitors attorney compliance with Science in mathematics. He received tant Division Commander, 34th mandatory continuing education rules. his law degree with honors from Drake Infantry Division • The Lawyer Trust Account Com- University Law School in 1982. From As Director of Commissions, Wieck mission, which makes grants to agen- 1982 to 1983, he served as law clerk will administer the following commis- cies and programs that provide civil and executive assistant to Chief Jus- sions: legal services to the poor. tice W. Ward Reynoldson of the Iowa • The Client Security and Attorney Supreme Court. He practiced law Discipline Commission, which con- 1. POINT 2. CLICK 3. INSURE 4 I March 2002 The President’s Letter My January President’s for legal services came from clients. Those clients wanted a Letter about what we lawyers way to know what services were rendered and to control costs, could learn from my friend Al but to an extent the opposite happened. The billable hour brought a lot of comment, but encourages extensive rather than efficient use of time. That has one particular letter set me resulted in pressure by sophisticated consumers of legal ser- thinking. The author (an Iowa vices to keep hourly rates low. There are accusations that this State Bar Association mem- has in turn led to the “quick clock” or put more pejoratively - ber) was quite complimentary padded hours. of the President’s Letter, but Arizona Supreme Court Justice Thomas Zlaket has said some very unflattering addressed the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) things about the profession: on this very topic more than once. He believes that the quick clock syndrome exists and has had a corrosive effect on the C. Joseph Holland profession. One little stretch of the truth in reporting hours leads to other and bigger stretchings of the truth. Yet others You Youare correctare correct law lawshould should be a beprofession...it a profession...it was was believe that the teaching of professional ethics in law school as whenwhen I graduated I graduated from from L.S. L.S. in 1969. in 19 I noI no longer longer prac- practice, the lowest common denominator of practice has lead to a fail- tice,having having gone gone into into business business for for myself. myself. We We use use a anum- ure to recognize aspiration to higher standards as the real numberber ofof lawyers.lawyers. TheThe professionprofession isis riddled riddled with with greed meaning of ethics.